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A large part of the Christmas season involves songs, gathering with friends and loved ones and food. A local church, El Buen Pastor, has managed to combine all three for the past decade.

In the late 1990s Debbie Arrieta decided to gather the church’s older youth and organize Christmas tiffany jewelry caroling activities. The idea began to gain popularity.

“From there it kind of grew into even the primary-age students wanted to come and sing with us. And then even adults that wanted us to go to there homes wanted to tag along.”

The caroling takes place a few days before Christmas. About 15 church members hop in their cars and go to friends’, relatives’ and other members’ homes to sing. By the end of the evening its not unusual for the caroling group that was less than 20 people to have grown to more than 40 as people being sung to decide to go sing to others.

Andrew Arrieta started caroling with the group when he was 11 years old. He said he’s never tired of the annual activity.

“It’s being together that’s a lot of fun. The cars are all packed with people, you’re blasting Christmas music and you’re trying to be the first one to get to the door,” Andrew Arrieta said.

Some of the older carolers enjoy watching the children participate as much as they do singing themselves silver pendants.

“I really love to see the kids, especially our little kids. Watching them as they’re growing every year, they look forward to it and they have so much fun,” church member Irma Dominguez said. “I think it’s mutual, because we have fun being together first and laughing and joking and singing.”

The children jockey for position to determine who rings the doorbell at each house. But the caroling does not start until everyone has arrived, which can be tricky with a caravan of people trying to follow homemade maps guiding them around the city.

The song list remains the same from year-to-year. There’s about 15 tunes that include many of the classics — “Silent Night,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Jingle Bells,” and others. Alicia Mondragon said her favorite is “Joy to the World” because it captures the true meaning of Christmas, the arrival of Christ.

Each home — there’s about 15 visited each year — is treated to one song. Usually, which song is performed is decided only minutes before the doorbell is rung.

The carolers will go to homes of non-church members upon request. Sometimes the new people they’re singing to don’t know if they should give them gifts or money. Church members say they don’t want anything. They sing for the joy of it.

“It’s a great experience that we do. It’s not a chore, it’s a fun thing that we do,” Dominguez said.

After caroling the group gathers at church member Yolonda Mondragon’s home where there’s plenty of food waiting silver earrings. The carolers are especailly fond of her quesadillas, and the hot chocolate is always nice after singing for a couple hours in 30-degree weather.

The evening for the group can be summed up in the advice Debbie Arrieta gives everyone before they leave to go caroling.

“Make sure you bring Christmas move it, play it really loud, enjoy yourself, be careful, have a good time and keep Christ in mind,” she says.